The British Music Experience Launches ‘In Conversation With’ Summer Series

Throughout the summer The British Music Experience will be hosting a range of talks with an exciting selection of industry speakers. Highlights include talks with Norman Jay, Yousef, Kevin Cummins and daughter of Poly Styrene, Celeste Bell.

by Culture Liverpool

Norman Jay and Yousef will open the series on Thursday 20 July for an evening with two of the UK’s best known DJs.

First up is Norman Jay MBE. A UK music legend who guarantees a great party whenever he is on the decks. His amazing history takes in Kiss FM, Talkin’ Loud, and the brilliant Good Times Sound System. Norman started his career in the 1980s, DJing at warehouse parties and has been part of the scene’s development over the past few decades. He was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2002.

Following on from Norman is a unique chance to hear Liverpool legend Yousef talking about his career and his favourite musical memories. Yousef is celebrating 15 years of Circus which has brought the best of house music and techno to the city since opening in 2002.

Kevin Cummins the legendary music photographer will be at The British Music Experience on Friday 28 July.

Kevin Cummins is a photographer responsible for some of the most recognisable music images of the last 40 years including iconic photographs of Joy Division, Happy Mondays, and Blur as well as photographing rock giants such as David Bowie and Mick Jagger.

Kevin spent 10 years as the chief photographer at the NME and in 1999 The National Portrait Gallery featured a selection of Cummins’ photographs for their Icon’s of Pop exhibition.

Kevin will talk about his career and how some of those memorable shots came about.

On Tuesday 1 August The British Music Experience will host a special event to celebrate the life and work of X-Ray Spex star, Poly Styrene.

The evening will be hosted by writer, musician and close friend of Poly John Robb, Celeste Bell and Poly’s daughter and writer Zoë Howe. Both will talk about two special works focusing on late X-Ray Spex star, Poly Styrene.

The first of the two projects is a documentary film, titled ‘Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché’ and the second a book, titles ‘Dayglo: The Creative Life Of Poly Styrene’.

Both works delve beyond the songs, the look (incorporating the most famous braces in rock) and that warrior-cry voice and explore Poly Styrene’s fascinating and sometimes frightening story – incorporating struggles with misogyny, racism and mental health issues, all of which has remained largely untold until now.

In both book and film, the jigsaw pieces of Poly’s life will be brought together for the first time. Combining original interviews, new research and previously unseen archive materials – and underscored with Poly’s music from throughout her career – these two projects celebrate one of punk’s most uncompromising mavericks.

The film, directed by Paul Sng (Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain; Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle), and the book (published by Omnibus Press) will be released in November 2018, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of seminal X-Ray Spex album Germ-Free Adolescents.

“Our mission is to tell the story of British music and as part of this we are delighted to launch the summer In Conversation series, bringing some special guests to the British Music Experience for our visitors to enjoy.

The British Music Experience celebrates music in all forms and of all genres. We’re excited to be hosting speakers from a huge range of backgrounds in the industry and look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy these special one off events.’’

The British Music Experience tells the story of British Music through costumes, instruments, performance and memorabilia. Whatever age you are, and whatever you are into, there is something here for you.

The collection boasts outfits worn by artists such as Freddie Mercury and Dusty Springfield, to the Spice Girls, Adam Ant and X Factor finalists and musical instruments played by some of the world’s most renowned artists from Noel Gallagher to the Sex Pistols. There are hand written song lyrics from Adele, the original statues from the Brits and the Apple Corp front door from Saville Row.

Visitors are also able to get involved too. You can learn a musical instrument with the best music equipment available, from drum kits to keyboards. Even try your hand on a Gibson guitar in the Gibson Brands Interactive Studio.

Tickets for each event are priced at £7 per adult and available via the links below and from the Box Office at The British Music Experience.